Jacob Mathew v. State of Punjab (2005)

The case of Jacob Mathew v. State of Punjab (2005) is a landmark Supreme Court of India judgment that established the legal standards for criminal medical negligence. The court ruled that for a doctor to be held criminally liable, their negligence must reach a threshold of "gross negligence" rather than just a simple lack of care.

Case Background The Incident: A patient, Jiwan Lal Sharma, was admitted to a hospital with breathing difficulties. When his condition worsened, an oxygen cylinder was brought but found to be empty. By the time a functional cylinder was sourced, the patient had died. Legal Action: The patient's son filed an FIR against Dr. Jacob Mathew and another doctor under Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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